U.S. Pat. No. 3,474,171, issued to W. G. Scharpf on October 21, 1969, discloses that N-methyl-2,3-dihydro-2,2-dimethylbenzofuranyl carbamate is pesticidal. The carbamate of U.S. Pat. No. 3,474,171 is particularly effective as an insecticide and exhibits both high contact and systemic activity against a variety of insects.
Although the carbamate of U.S. Pat. No. 3,474,171 is a highly effective insecticide, it is toxic to mammals at fairly low dosages. For instance, the oral toxicity, LD.sub.50 (rats), of N-methyl-2,3-dihydro-2,2-dimethylbenzofuranyl carbamate as established by test on laboratory animals is about 5-11 mg/kg. This high toxicity precludes the use of the carbamate of U.S. Pat. No. 3,474,171 in certain environments. Some countries completely prohibit the use of any insecticide having the high toxicity exhibited by the carbamate of U.S. Pat. No. 3,474,171.